<論説>一九二〇年代後半における中国関税改定問題と日華実業協会

Abstract

第一次世界大戦後、日中間の経済案件を解決することを目的に、日華実業協会という日本人実業家団体が結成された。本稿では一九二〇年代後半に重要な外交懸案となった中国関税改定問題についての同会の運動を検討し、その政治活動の特色を明らかにする。会の中心を在京の実業家が占めていた日華実業協会は、当初は関税問題への対応をめぐって利害を異にする在阪の実業家との連携を欠いていた。しかし会議が中断され中国情勢が流動化すると、同会は在京の実業家と在阪の実業家の意見を媒介・統合し、政府に対して関税率・対中債権問題の包括的な解決と政党間対立を超えた一貫した対中政策の形成を訴えるようになる。当該期の日華実業協会の活動は、関税問題の政局化を避けつつ、国内実業界の意見を統合し、政府との意見交換の緊密化を図ろうとするものになっていったのである。

After World War I, Japanese businessmen organized a group called the Nikka Jitsugyō Kyōkai 日華実業協会 (Japan-China Business Association) that included a wide range of Japanese businessmen and business organizations who thought it necessary to solve economic issues between Japan and China. This paper analyses how this group developed a political campaign to deal with Chinese tariff revision, which was the most controversial economical issue between the two nations in the late 1920s, and clarifies the development of the group as a political organization. When the Special Tariff Conference in Beijing was held in 1925 with the aim of reaching a final agreement among China and the powers, Japanese businessmen paid much attention because the issue was deeply linked with Japanese trade and investments in China. But the organizers of the Nikka Jitsugyō Kyōkai at first consisted mainly of businessmen from Tokyo, and the organization did not cooperate with the businessmen from the Osaka region because their interests conflicted. However, when the tariff conference was broken off in July 1926 because of the turmoil in China, Japanese businessmen from throughout the nation were anxious about the future of Chinese tariffs. This change of the situation in China had a great impact on the campaign of the Nikka Jitsugyō Kyōkai. The association mediated the views of businessmen in Tokyo and Osaka, uniting them in the demand that the Japanese government make an effort to reopen the international conference and resolve the tariff issue comprehensively. Conflicts between the two regions were thus overcome by the Nikka Jitsugyō Kyōkai that also insisted that the policy toward China should not be affected by the conflict between political parties and be carried out consistently. Besides, it also provided opportunities for meetings with political authorities to exchange of views about this issue. The activities of the Nikka Jitsugyō Kyōkai throughout this period were meant to integrate the views of domestic business circles and to develop closer relationships with the government in order to facilitate an exchange of views. This also signaled the development of the Nikka Jitsugyō Kyōkai as a political group that would have a stronger involvement with diplomacy toward China in the future.